West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-09-23
A SURGEONS LIFE.
A Page From the Experience of Fa-
nous Physician and Surgeon.

Gross.
have always maintained that il
is impossible for any man to be 8
great surgeon if he is destitute. even
in a considerable degree, of the finer
feelings of our nature. l have often
lain awake for hours the night be-
fore an important operation, and snf-
fered great mental distress for days
after it was over, until l was certain
my patient was out of danger. LIDO
not think that it is possible for a
criminal to feel much worse the night
before his execution than surgeon
when he knows that upon his skill
and attention must depend the fate
of valuable citizen, husband, father,
mother or child. Surgery under such
circumstances is a terrible taskmas.
ter, feeding, like a vulture upon a
mans vitals 1t is surprising that
any surgeon in large practice should
ever attain to 4 respectable old age,
so great are the wear and tear of
mind and body.
The world has seen many sad
picture. l will draw one of the sur
geon. 1t is midday; the sun is
bright and beautiful; all nature is
redolent of joy; men and women
crowd the street, arrayed in their
best, and all, apparently, is peace
and happiness within and without.
In a large house, almost overhang-
inc this street so full of life and gay
ETY., lies upon a couch an emaciated
figure, once one of the sweetest and
lOyeliest Of her sex, Il confding and
aiTectiOnate wife, and the adOred
mother Of numerous children, the
subject of a frightful disease of one
of her limbs, or, it may be, of her jaw.
if not n still more important part of
her body. In an adjoining room is
the surgeon, with his assistants,
spreading out his instruments and
getting things in readiness for the
impending operation. lie assigns
to each his appropriate place. One
administers chloroform; another
takes charge Of the limb; one screws
down the tourniquet upon the prin-
ciple artery, and another holds him
self in readiness to follow the knife
with his sponge. The flaps are soon
formed, the bone severed, the vessels
tied, and the huge wound approXi-
mated. The woman is pale and
CHASTITY, the pulse hardly perceptible,
the skin wet with clammy perspira-
tion, the voice husky, the sight in
distinct. Some one whispers into
the ear of the busy surgeon, THE
patient, l fear, is dying" Restora
tives are administered, the pulse
gradually rises, and after q few hours
of hard work and terrible anxiety
reaction occurs. The poor woman
was only faint from the joint influ-
euce of the anesthetic shock and loss
of blood. An assistant, a kind of
sentine!, is placed as guard over
her, with instructions To watch her
with the closest care, and to send
word the moment the slightest
change for the worse is perceived.
The surgeon goes about his bust
ness, visits other patients on the way,
and at length, long after the usual
hour. he sits down, worried and eX-
hausted, to his cold and comfortless
meal. with q mouth almost as dry
and a voice as husky as his patients.
He eats mechanically, exchanges
hardly a word with any member of
his family. and sullenly retires to his
study, to prescribe for his patients
never. during all this time, forget
ting the poor mutilated object he
left a few hours ago. He is about to
lie down to get q mements repOse
after the severe toll OF the day, when
suddenly he hears loud ring of the
bell, and n servant, breathless with
excitement, begs his immediate
presence at the sick chamber with
the exclamation, "They think Mrs.
is diving" He hurries to the
scene with rapid pace and anxious
feeling. The stump is of 4 crimson
color, and the patient lies in 4 pro
found swoon. An artery has sud
denly given way; the exhaustion is
extreme; cordials and stimulants are
at once brought into requisition, the
dressings are removed, and the re-
cusant vessel is promptly secured.
The vital current ebbs and flows,
reaction is still more tardy than be-
fore. and it is not until late hour
of the night that the surgeon. liter
ally worn out in mind and body, re-
tires to his home in search of repose.
Does he sleep He tries, but he can
not close his eyes. His mind is
with his patient; he hears every
footstep upon the pavement under
his window. and is in momentary eX-
pectation ofthe ringing ofthe night
bell. He is disturbed by the widest
fancies, he sees the most terrific oh-
iects, and, as he rises early in the
morning to hasten to his patients
chamber. he feels that he has been
cheated of the rest of which he stood
.,,,.b ~ poad Ts this Oicture